Strainer



July 15, 1941. w. K. McFARLlN swmmm Filed Jan. 24, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

"m d M m.

y 15, w. K. McFAR LIN 2.249,020

s'rRAI NE Fiied Jan. 24, 1940 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT OR.

BY 2 E E i t ATTORNEY.

Patented July 15, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT; orrrcr.

' 2,249,020 VSTRAINEUB. William K. McFarlin, East Orange, N, J. Application January 24, 1940, Serial No. 315,354

' 2 Claims. (01. 10-470) This inv nti n r a es, general y, to mp mer ts in strainers; and the invention has reference, mor particular y, to an improved s mergible strainer for attachment to the intake end of a liquid supply line or conduit of either the gravity flow or pump su tion flow ty This invention has for an object to provide a hollow perforate walled strainerbody-of novel structure and shape, whereby the same is high- 13! resistant to distortion, accidental deformation or like injury; whereby the same requires less end wall material in its make up for given side surface areas, being consequently more economical to produce; and whereby its perforate wall surfaces are so presented that effective application thereto of a cleaning brush or scraper, man pulated from a point above the surface of the liquid in which it 'is submerged, is easily accomplished, even when the. strainer is submerged to a considerable depth.

Having these objects in view, this invention comprises a strainer body of diamond shape in cross section which, as submerged for use, is disposed with its long axis perpendicular, and wherein its perforate side walls are acutely angular to the plane of its vertical long axis, 'so as to preferably lie in angular planes of approximately thirty degrees divergent to said perpendicular axial plane, thereby rendering veryeasy and effective the application of a cleaning'brush or scraper, as manipulated from above, to its angular side walls, and especially to the lower convergent side walls thereof.

Other objects of this invention, not'at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

Illustrative embodiments of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the novel strainer according to this invention, shown as operatively attached to the intake end of a submerged supply conduit or pipe; and Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the strainer so shown, this view additionally showing a cleaning brush device as operatively manipulated from liquid surface level for application to the angular side walls of the strainer.

Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the strainer, drawn on a somewhat enlarged scale; and Fig. 4 shows a transverse vertical sectional view thereof, taken on line 44 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section of the strainer as designed for production in comparatively large sizes, and provided with desired geometrically grouped relation. erabl-yth same are of slot-likeform arranged an external bolt flange neck for coupling the same to a correspondingly flanged supply conduit or pipe end. 7

Similar characters of references are employed inqthe above describedviews, to indicate correspo d peri Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the novel strainer comprises suitably spaced rear end and front end walls l0 and II. These end walls are made of diamond shape, and preferably of such axial dimensionsthat the minor axis of each approximates about one half the length of the major axis, moreor less. Attached to and extending between the peripheries of said end plates are'thestrainer-side walls l2. Preferably said end walls and-side walls are connected by welded joints, but, of course, may be joined together in any other suitable manner; 1

The side walls 12 are 'provided'with a multiplicityof perforations l3 giving access to the hollowiinteriorof the strainer b dy for entrance thereinto of the liquid in which the strainer is submerged, while restraining foreign matter against entrance, Said perforationsmay-be made of an sui a les a e n a n ed i a y Prefin interrupted or spaced groups, so as to not unduly Weaken-the side wallbodies. The front end wall II is also provided with liquid'access perforations 14' of suitable shape and grouped disposition.

As made-in comparatively small sizes for attachment to supply pipes or conduits ranging'in diametricsizef-rom'three fourths of an inch to six inches, therear end wall [,0 of the strainer body is provided with a centrally located, internally extending coupling member. Preferably this coupling member is provided with a flared outer end I5 conforming to and secured, as by welding, in an opening therefor provided in said rear end wall l0. Said flared outer end 15 leads to an internally screw threaded section It into which the threaded end portion of the supply pipe I! may be screwed. At its inner end, said section I6 is provided with an annular rolled terminal portion l8, the free marginal portion or skirt E9 of which provides a stop flange against which said threaded end portion of the supply pipe ll abuts when screwed into the coupling member.

To reenforce and brace the side walls l2 of the strainer body, transverse brace-bars 2!] are secured respectively to and between the upper divergently opposed side Walls and between the lower convergently opposed side walls. These brace-bars may be of any suitable cross-sectional shape; the T-shape shown, however, being very satisfactory. One or more such brace-bars may be utilized between the opposed side walls of the strainer body, according to the size of the latter, and, in fact, in the smaller sizes of strainer bodies these brace-bars may be omitted as not absolutely essential.

As shown in Fig. a modified means for coupling the strainer body to the supply pipe or conduit to be served thereby may be utilized, especially for large diameter pipes or conduits and correspondingly large sized strainer bodies. Such modified coupling means comprises a centrally located, externally projecting coupling member 2| which extends from an opening in the rear end wall ID in connection with which it is suitably secured, as by welding. At its outer extremity, said coupling member is provided with an outwardly and laterally projecting annular flange 22. Said coupling member may also be reenforced by radial webs 23 extending between the same and said rear end wall ID. The supply pipe IT, as arranged for cooperation with said coupling member 2|, is provided with an annular coupling flange 24 to match and abut said flange 22 of the coupling member, attachment thereto being made by bolts 25.

In use, the novel strainer body, as operatively connected to the submerged intake end of the supply pipe or conduit to be served thereby, is disposed so that its major axis is perpendicular. In this position, the perforate side walls l2 are disposed in planes acutely angular to the vertical plane of the major axis of the strainer. As a consequence of such disposition both the upper divergent side wall sections and the lower convergent side wall sections are easily accessible for application thereto of a cleaning brush B, when the latter is passed downwardly through the liquid and manipulated by its handle B from a point above the liquid level surface. Since the planes of the strainer side wall sections diverge but little from a perpendicular plane, the brush B may be moved up and down in effective cleaning contact with the surfaces thereof, whereby cleaning engagement thereof with the lower convergent side wall sections especially is rendered easy, even though the strainer be submerged in a very considerable depth of liquid; as will be seen by examination of Fig. 2 of the drawings. This is of great advantage, and makes possible the easy maintenance of deeply submerged strainers in clean and efficient operative condi- 55 tion, without necessity for taking up the strainers, or dismantling the same from operative connection with the supply pipe served thereby.

In addition to these functional advantages, by reason of the novel construction and form of strainer, the same is rendered very strong and durable, and highly resistant to distortion, deformation or accidental injury by ice or heavy objects moving in the stream or other body of liquid in which the strainer is located. Furthermore, by reason of the diamond cross-sectional shape of the strainer body, such body requires less material for its end plate portions relative to given side wall section areas, and therefore a saving in production is afforded.

Having now described my invention, I claim: 1. A strainer comprising, a hollow body of diamond shape in transverse vertical cross-section having transverse end walls and interconnecting perforate side wall sections which lie in planes acutely angular to the plane of the major axis of said body, one end wall having a centrally located coupling means for attachment to a supply pipe to be served by said body, said body, in use, being disposed with its major axis perpendicular to the surface of the liquid in which it is submerged, whereby one acute apex is upwardly directed and the opposite acute apex is I downwardly directed, thus exposing the perforate side wall sections for easy engagement by a cleaning brush when the same is passed downwardly through the liquid and manipulated by its handle from a point above the liquid surface level.

2. A strainer comprising, a hollow body of diamond shape in transverse vertical cross-section having transverse end walls and interconnecting perforate side wall sections which lie in planes acutely angular to the plane of the major axis of said body, one end wall having a centrally located coupling means for attachment to a supply pipe to be served by said body, said body, in use, being disposed with its major axis perpendicular to the surface of the liquid in which it is submerged, whereby one acute apex is upwardly directed and the opposite acute apex is downwardly directed, thus exposing the perforate side wall sections for easy engagement by a cleaning brush when the same is passed downwardly through the liquid and manipulated by its handle from a point above the liquid surface level, and the perforations of said side wall sections consisting in vertically spaced rows of slots transverse to the perpendicular major axis of the body.

WILLIAM K. McFARLIN. 

